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Martin Gurney of Peugeot answers Barker's Dozen

Date:
06 August 2014
|
Author:

Peugeot's fleet boss once felt like a million dollars.

Peugeot's fleet chief on being hit on the head an banning the retired from shopping at the weekend.

1. What was your first job?

From 16 I began working as a waiter in a local pub restaurant, and at the age of 18 'progressed' to working behind the bar; I've had a passion for good local pubs, good pub food and good service ever since! I started out in the motor industry a couple of years later, selling new cars during the long university summer breaks.

2. What was your first company car?

A Peugeot 406 SRi petrol turbo in Platinum Silver. I remember taking it back to the family home to show my dad - I felt like a million dollars!

3. What did you listen to on your last car journey?

BBC Radio 2.

4. What one thing do you wish you could do better?

Function with less sleep!

5. What's your biggest achievement?

Getting a first-class honours degree. I'm not a natural academic and it was a slog, not helped by the title of my dissertation: 'Maximising the profit potential of private new car finance products' - a thrilling read, all 10,000 words.

6. Who are your role models

I'm inspired by lots of people every day, usually by those who don't take themselves too seriously, enjoy work and achieve their potential while maintaining a good work-life balance.

7. What's the stupidest thing you've done?

Getting whacked on the head by the boom of a yacht, in the practically flat-calm waters of Chichester Harbour. A schoolboy error, compounded by leaving it a further eight hours before going to A&E to discover that I needed seven staples in my head.

8. What was the most hotly debated topic at your last meeting?

Residual value forecasting. We've made tremendous progress with Peugeot RVs over the past five years and we want to do an even better job going forward.

9. What's in your garage?

Nothing interesting: two push bikes (under-utilised), BBQ, pressure washer, lawnmower, leaf blower, recycling bins and several shelves full of goodness knows what. Oh, and a motorcycle crash helmet, jacket and boots that serve as a constant reminder that I shouldn't have sold my Triumph Scrambler.

10. What's the worst thing about your job?

Frustration at the time it is taking to arrange an extended test drive for all of our customers and prospects in the fantastic new 308.

11. What one law would you make or change?

I would ban retired folk from shopping in supermarkets on Saturdays and Sundays.

12. What keeps you awake at night?

Mabel, my five-month-old daughter.

13. Who is your ideal celebrity date?

Having not been out for dinner with my wife for the past five months (see above), I won't push my luck!

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